(Victor Valley)– Investigators with the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) caught 133 out of 1,574 people fraudulently using disabled person parking placards during 21 enforcement operations in May. Investigators confiscated the placards and issued each offender a misdemeanor citation that carries a $250 to $1,000 fine. The violation will also appear on their driver record.

Since July 1, 2017, DMV investigators have issued 2,345 citations during 234 crackdown efforts, which is significantly more than the 1,625 citations they handed out during the 2016/17 fiscal year.

The DMV carries out as many as 24 enforcement operations each month in an effort to reduce the impact disabled person parking placard fraud has on the mobility of those with disabilities.

Here are the results of enforcement operations during May 2018:

Date

City

Citations Issued

Drivers Contacted

5/1

Suisun

2

61

5/2

Bakersfield

9

39

5/8

Grass Valley

1

92

5/9

Brea

5

62

5/10

Covina

7

75

5/10

San Diego

2

46

5/15

Chula Vista

6

102

5/15

Los Angeles

24

103

5/15

Los Angeles

5

46

5/15

Oakland

6

21

5/15

South San Francisco

1

46

5/16

Folsom

1

53

5/16

Lakewood

6

58

5/17

Santa Clara

7

94

5/19

Marina del Rey

7

113

5/20

Salinas

5

61

5/21

Fresno

10

67

5/23

Oxnard

18

60

5/24

Atwater

1

35

5/24

Roseville

2

150

5/24

San Diego

8

190

Totals:

21 operations

133

1,574

Anyone who suspects a person might be misusing a disabled person placard is urged to report it using an online complaint formor by contacting their local DMV Investigations office. Submissions are confidential. It is important to note that some qualifying disabilities are not visually apparent and allegations of misuse might be unfounded.